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Best bluefish lakes in New York

53 New York waters hold bluefish, 53 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The yellow-eyed wrecking crew — schools blitz bait on the surface, chop through anything shiny, and pull like fish twice their size.

1. Lower Bay — 104 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
2. Great Peconic Bay — 42 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
3. Smithtown Bay — 74 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
4. Napeague Bay — 62 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
5. South Oyster Bay — 34 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
6. Sloop Channel — 48 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
7. Hempstead Harbor — 38 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
8. Reynolds Channel — 67 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
9. Huntington Bay — 54 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
10. Rockaway Inlet — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
11. Beach Channel — 68 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
12. Manhasset Bay — 54 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
13. Eastchester Bay — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
14. Coecles Harbor — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
15. Three Mile Harbor — 14 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
16. False Hook Channel — 33 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
17. Port Jefferson Harbor — 51 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
18. Lloyd Harbor — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
19. Pierhead Channel — 56 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
20. Bay Ridge Channel — 51 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
21. Lake Montauk — 14 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
22. Mamaroneck Harbor — 21 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
23. Flushing Bay — 43 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), BluefishWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
24. Northwest Harbor — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
25. East Rockaway Inlet — 41 ft max · survey depth data · Striped Bass, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefish, Black Sea BassWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site

…plus 28 more New York waters holding bluefish.

Find the closest bluefish waters to you →

When to fish bluefish in New York

• Spring 3–20 ft — Racers arrive with the bunker schools — follow birds, cast metal, and check your leader after every fish.
• Summer 5–30 ft — Snappers in the bays, choppers in the rips — wire or heavy mono, poppers when they're up, metal when they're down.
• Fall 3–25 ft — The fall run — mullet and bunker pour out of the bays and the blues go with them; the year's best surface fishing.
• Winter 15–40 ft — Gone south from most coasts; Florida and Gulf fish work the passes on warm winter tides.

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Bluefish elsewhere: Maine · Massachusetts · Connecticut · New Jersey · Rhode Island